An Allegheny County jury deliberated over two days before reaching a verdict against David Higginbotham, 62, of Marshall Township, who was found not guilty on two counts of statutory sexual assault as well as a charge of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child.

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"It was not beneficial to the defendant necessarily, but to say we're pleased would be not true, but to say we're also not hammered with the worst-case scenario is also true," defense attorney Phil DiLucente said.

Sentencing is scheduled for November. DiLucente said they're hopeful that the total sentence will be between three to four years. He said Higginbotham has no prior criminal history.

As the now 12- and 13-year-old sisters listened with their parents in the courtroom, Higginbotham took the witness stand Tuesday and repeatedly denied ever sexually abusing the girls.

Higginbotham, who owned Handel's Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt in the McCandless Crossing shopping center, was questioned on the stand about years of alleged abuse from 2008 to 2013. He said he knew the girls' family, that his daughter-in-law was the girls' babysitter who brought them over to swim in his pool, and that they visited for social gatherings.

During the up to 30 visits over the years, Higginbotham said, he was not alone with them in his home or car. He denied bringing them to his bedroom or bathroom or touching them in his home office with the door closed. He also denied touching them inappropriately during a sleepover, while they were in his pool. Asked if he watched pornography with them on his computer, he answered "absolutely not."

Higginbotham denied doing anything to hurt the girls.

"You don't hurt people that you love and feel strongly for. It just doesn't make sense," he said.

During cross-examination, Higginbotham repeatedly said "yes," that the two girls were lying.